Lady Liberty

November 1, 2002
U.S. vice-president Sybil Stone, code-named Lady Liberty, is struggling to prevent an unauthorized missile launch. Locked in a duel with competing camps of arms-dealing terrorists, Sybil is a "classy, competent" vice-president whom even members of her own party have come to hate. Her renowned honesty and fair play irritate colleagues entangled in self-serving alliances cemented by greed for political clout. But Secret Service agent Jonathan Westford has admired Sybil for years, especially during her mysterious divorce from Austin Stone, who designs and sells security systems--even to terrorists. An extensive cast of politicians and reporters, some linked by blackmail, adds to a complex plot revolving around the battle for control of arms sales as the relentless countdown to missile launch proceeds. While not conforming to conventional criteria for either political thriller or romance, Hinze's timely offering should attract readers of both with its candid view of Washington, D.C., and perceptive handling of the heroine's gradual realization that she can love again.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2002, American Library Association.)